“My eyes welled up with tears instantly. There he was. An adorable, chubby-cheeked 9-month-old boy. ‘He’s ours, isn’t he?’ No one quite understood the ache we had in our hearts to have him home.”
‘As we pulled away, he cried, ‘MOM!’ My heart burst with so much emotion. He was saying goodbye to everything he knew.’: Couple shares adoption journey, ‘They are IMMENSELY loved’
‘I left work to become a stay-at-home mom. I ceased to ‘exist.’ I expended all my energy, but had little to show for it.’: Mom starts journaling business for kids, ‘I wanted to work on MY TIME’
“There were things which took me by surprise when I left the corporate world, the most important realization was I didn’t WANT to be a stay-at-home mom. My feelings of loneliness led me to create a practice of gratitude.”
‘I drove with a huge cooler full of milk, sobbing. I was overwhelmed with gratitude.’: Mom donates 10,000 ounces of breast milk to moms in need
“Breastfeeding may be natural, but that absolutely does not mean it is easy.”
‘All my life, I heard, ‘Breast milk is the only way to go.’ I felt like a failure. What was wrong with my body?’: New mom shares breastfeeding journey, donates breast milk, ‘I am beyond grateful’
“I had no idea where to start, where to go, or who to ask for help. I didn’t know anyone who was pumping, let alone donating breast milk.”
‘I was so bloated people asked, ‘How far along are you?’ If only they knew I was slowly dying on the inside, never able to have another child.’: Chronic illness warrior shares journey, ‘I am FIERCE’
“My large intestine quit on me out of the blue. I fought through the pain until I was no longer able to hide it. If felt like my world was slowly caving in.”
‘The judge skimmed my letter. In less than 5 minutes, we were ushered out of the courtroom. I felt powerless.’: Foster mom advocates for child welfare, ‘They need people to fight for them’
“My knuckles were white as I gripped the steering wheel. I was fighting back tears. My 6-year-old foster child sat in the backseat, oblivious. The system was failing him and no one cared.”
‘As I laid eyes on her for the first time, they quickly pointed out everything ‘wrong’ with her.’: Mom ‘blindsided’ by daughter’s Down syndrome diagnosis, ‘I’m no longer afraid’
“Her beautiful, almond-shaped eyes, the way her tongue rested gently on her bottom lip, and her tiny pinky with the slightest curve. I was in shock.”
‘What’s so special about this photo?’ It’s just an egg on top of toast, you may wonder. But to me, this is the best photo in the world.’: Mom celebrates parenting win after sons’ act of kindness, ‘I’m raising boys not defined by gender stereotypes’
“I often wonder if we are doing this whole parenting thing right. Then, Saturday morning happened. I am raising sons to be men who are not defined by traditional gender stereotypes.”
‘Are you a mom?’ she abruptly asked. I wasn’t prepared for this question. Yes, I get too attached. Yes, I cry when they leave.’: Woman fosters 8 kids, ‘They will always be my babies’
“A 3-year-old girl pushed right past me like she owned the place. ‘I’m going to call you mom.’ The length of time doesn’t matter. Their pictures still hang in my house, their laughter and cries echoing in each room. They will always be my babies.”
‘Bleach can cure anything, Katie. Don’t you want to cure your son?’ What I thought was a ‘moms tea party’ turned into a dark autism bleach cult.’: Mom stresses ‘beauty of autism’ after cult discovery
“I was ready to gain mom friends who also had children with autism. Little did I know as I walked into this beautiful suburban home at 9 a.m., my entire world would change. I remember hearing, ‘What do you have to lose?’ I sat frozen with tea in one hand, my mind racing into panic mode. Something was not right about this tea party.”